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Citizenship test 2026: which civics test applies to you
USCIS administers two different naturalization civics tests, and which one you take is set by your Form N-400 filing date rather than by the year of your interview. File before Oct. 20, 2025 and you take the 2008 test: up to 10 questions from 100, 6 correct to pass. File on or after that date and you take the 2025 test: 20 questions from 128, 12 correct to pass.
Your Form N-400 filing date decides it, not the calendar year of your interview. USCIS states that aliens who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, before Oct. 20, 2025 will take the 2008 naturalization civics test, and that aliens who file on or after Oct.
What this page recommends
Your Form N-400 filing date decides it, not the calendar year of your interview.
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Citizenship test 2026: the 2008 civics test compared with the 2025 civics test
| What USCIS sets | 2008 civics test | 2025 civics test |
|---|---|---|
| Who takes it | Applicants who filed Form N-400 before Oct. 20, 2025 | Applicants who filed Form N-400 on or after Oct. 20, 2025 |
| Published question bank | 100 civics questions | 128 civics questions |
| Questions asked at interview | Up to 10, asked orally | 20, asked orally |
| Correct answers needed to pass | 6 | 12 |
| Incorrect answers that fail you | 5 | 9 |
| When the officer stops asking | At 6 correct or 5 incorrect | At 12 correct or 9 incorrect |
| English test alongside it | Read 1 of 3 sentences; write 1 of 3 sentences; speaking judged during the N-400 interview | Read 1 of 3 sentences; write 1 of 3 sentences; speaking judged during the N-400 interview |
| Opportunities to pass | Two: the initial examination and the re-examination interview | Two: the initial examination and the re-examination interview |
| 65/20 special consideration | 10 questions from a specially selected bank of 20 marked with an asterisk | 10 questions from a specially selected bank of 20 marked with an asterisk |
What to know about Citizenship test 2026: which civics test applies to you
USCIS administers two different naturalization civics tests, and which one you take is set by your Form N-400 filing date rather than by the year of your interview. File before Oct. 20, 2025 and you take the 2008 test: up to 10 questions from 100, 6 correct to pass. File on or after that date and you take the 2025 test: 20 questions from 128, 12 correct to pass. Use this page to get the decision framework fast, then verify local details on USCIS Medical Exams.
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What this page cannot decide for you
This page is educational and is not legal advice. It restates what USCIS publishes about the naturalization English and civics tests. It cannot tell you whether you are eligible to naturalize, which exception applies to you, or how your own case will be decided. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative about your own case.
Verify the source before acting
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; reviewed 2026-08-27
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; reviewed 2026-08-27
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; reviewed 2026-07-24
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; reviewed 2026-07-24
Which citizenship test will I take in 2026?
Your Form N-400 filing date decides it, not the calendar year of your interview. USCIS states that aliens who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, before Oct. 20, 2025 will take the 2008 naturalization civics test, and that aliens who file on or after Oct. 20, 2025 will take the 2025 naturalization civics test. USCIS says it is implementing the 2025 test to align with Executive Order 14161, and that the 2025 test is based on the 2020 test with some modifications to the administration of the test. So there is no single "citizenship test 2026". If you file your N-400 during 2026, you take the 2025 test. If you filed before Oct. 20, 2025 and your interview lands in 2026, you take the 2008 test. Read the filing date off your receipt notice before you buy or download anything.
What is on the 2025 naturalization civics test?
USCIS describes the 2025 civics test as an oral test consisting of 20 questions from the list of 128 civics test questions. You must answer 12 questions correctly to pass. You fail if you answer 9 of the 20 questions incorrectly. Officers stop asking questions once an applicant has answered 12 correctly or 9 incorrectly, so the test can end before all 20 questions are asked. USCIS publishes the official list as "128 Civics Questions and Answers" and a companion study guide titled "One Nation, One People: The USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide". USCIS also notes that some answers change because of elections or appointments, and that you must answer with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview.
What is on the 2008 civics test, and who still takes it in 2026?
The 2008 test still governs anyone who filed Form N-400 before Oct. 20, 2025, which includes people whose interviews fall during 2026. USCIS describes it as an oral test in which the officer asks up to 10 questions from the list of 100 civics test questions. You must answer 6 questions correctly to pass, and you fail the test if you answer 5 of the 10 questions incorrectly. As with the 2025 test, officers stop asking once an applicant answers 6 correctly or 5 incorrectly. The official list is published by USCIS as "100 Civics Questions and Answers", with a large-print edition and a text-only edition that USCIS says can be used with screen enlargers, screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, and most other accessibility products.
Your Form N-400 filing date decides it, not the calendar year of your interview. USCIS states that aliens who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, before Oct. 20, 2025 will take the 2008 naturalization civics test, and that aliens who file on or after Oct. 20, 2025 will take the 2025 naturalization civics test. USCIS says it is implementing the 2025 test to align with Executive Order 14161, and that the 2025 test is based on the 2020 test with some modifications to the administration of the test. So there is no single "citizenship test 2026". If you file your N-400 during 2026, you take the 2025 test. If you filed before Oct. 20, 2025 and your interview lands in 2026, you take the 2008 test. Read the filing date off your receipt notice before you buy or download anything.
Quick checklist
- Find the filing date of your Form N-400 on your receipt notice, not the date of your interview.
- Filed before Oct. 20, 2025: study the 100 questions of the 2008 civics test.
- Filed on or after Oct. 20, 2025: study the 128 questions of the 2025 civics test.
- Confirm which version a study guide covers before you use it, because USCIS publishes separate lists for each.
Red flags
- A study guide or app does not say which test version it covers.
- A source says the test "changed in 2026"; USCIS ties the change to an N-400 filing date of Oct. 20, 2025.
- Someone hands 100 questions to an applicant who filed on or after Oct. 20, 2025.
USCIS describes the 2025 civics test as an oral test consisting of 20 questions from the list of 128 civics test questions. You must answer 12 questions correctly to pass. You fail if you answer 9 of the 20 questions incorrectly. Officers stop asking questions once an applicant has answered 12 correctly or 9 incorrectly, so the test can end before all 20 questions are asked. USCIS publishes the official list as "128 Civics Questions and Answers" and a companion study guide titled "One Nation, One People: The USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide". USCIS also notes that some answers change because of elections or appointments, and that you must answer with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview.
Quick checklist
- Download the official "128 Civics Questions and Answers" list from USCIS rather than a third-party reprint.
- Treat 12 correct answers as the pass mark, not a percentage score.
- Re-check the questions whose answers depend on who currently holds office, close to your interview date.
- Expect the officer to stop early once you reach 12 correct or 9 incorrect.
Red flags
- A practice test reports a percentage instead of counting to 12 correct answers.
- A question list has not been updated for the officials serving now.
- A source claims all 20 questions are always asked.
The 2008 test still governs anyone who filed Form N-400 before Oct. 20, 2025, which includes people whose interviews fall during 2026. USCIS describes it as an oral test in which the officer asks up to 10 questions from the list of 100 civics test questions. You must answer 6 questions correctly to pass, and you fail the test if you answer 5 of the 10 questions incorrectly. As with the 2025 test, officers stop asking once an applicant answers 6 correctly or 5 incorrectly. The official list is published by USCIS as "100 Civics Questions and Answers", with a large-print edition and a text-only edition that USCIS says can be used with screen enlargers, screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, and most other accessibility products.
Quick checklist
- Confirm your N-400 filing date is before Oct. 20, 2025 before studying the 100-question list.
- Treat 6 correct answers as the pass mark.
- Ask for the large-print or text-only edition if you use a screen reader or a refreshable Braille display.
- Update the officeholder answers before your interview, as USCIS instructs for both versions.
Red flags
- A preparer assumes the newest test applies to every applicant regardless of filing date.
- A study set mixes questions from the 100-question and 128-question lists.
- An accessible edition is not offered when it is needed.
USCIS describes the same English requirement alongside both civics versions: you must demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak basic English. For the reading test you read one of three sentences out loud correctly. For the writing test you write one of three sentences correctly. Your ability to speak and understand English is determined by a USCIS officer during the eligibility interview on Form N-400, not as a separate sitting. The USCIS Policy Manual adds the detail that changes how people should prepare: the officer stops the reading test once you read one of the three sentences correctly, and stops the writing test once you write one of the three sentences in a manner the officer understands. The Policy Manual also states that an applicant does not fail the writing test because of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors, unless the errors interfere with the meaning of the sentence and the officer is unable to understand it.
Quick checklist
- Practise reading aloud, because the reading test is scored on whether the officer can understand the meaning.
- Use the official USCIS writing vocabulary list rather than a general English word list.
- Remember the speaking test happens throughout the N-400 interview, not at a separate moment.
- Ask the officer to repeat or rephrase a question; the Policy Manual says officers should repeat and rephrase.
Red flags
- A tutor tells you a spelling mistake automatically fails the writing test.
- A preparer treats the speaking test as a separate scheduled exam.
- A practice program never has you read a sentence out loud.
Two. The USCIS Policy Manual states that an alien has two opportunities to pass the English and civics tests: the initial examination and the re-examination interview. USCIS denies the naturalization application if the applicant fails to pass any portion of the tests after two attempts. Where an applicant requests a USCIS hearing on the denial, officers must administer any failed portion of the tests. One rule catches people out and is worth reading twice: unless USCIS excuses it, failing to appear at the re-examination for testing, or failing to take the tests at an examination or hearing, counts as a failed attempt to pass the test. A missed appointment is not a neutral event.
Quick checklist
- Treat the re-examination interview as your second and final attempt.
- If you cannot attend a re-examination, contact USCIS before the date rather than after.
- Keep every appointment notice, because non-appearance counts as a failed attempt unless USCIS excuses it.
- If your application is denied, ask what a USCIS hearing would involve, since officers must administer any failed portion at that hearing.
Red flags
- You are told there is no limit on retakes.
- A missed re-examination is described as harmless.
- Nobody explains that failing any portion after two attempts leads to denial.
The USCIS Policy Manual sets out the exceptions under INA 312(b). If you are age 50 or older at the time of filing and have resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years, you are exempt from the English requirement but still required to meet the civics requirement, and you may take the civics test in the language of your choice using an interpreter. The same English exemption applies if you are age 55 or older with at least 15 years as an LPR. If you are age 65 or older with at least 20 years as an LPR, you receive special consideration on the civics test: USCIS says it administers a test of 10 questions from a specially selected bank of 20 test questions drawn from either the 2008 or the 2025 civics test, marked with an asterisk, and that you may take the naturalization test in the language of your choice. Separately, an applicant who cannot meet the English or civics requirements because of a medical disability may be exempt from the English requirement, the civics requirement, or both, using Form N-648.
Quick checklist
- Count your age and your years as an LPR at the time of filing, which is the moment the Policy Manual measures.
- If you qualify for an English exemption, arrange an interpreter for the civics test.
- If you qualify under 65/20, study only the 20 questions marked with an asterisk on your version of the list.
- Discuss Form N-648 with a licensed medical professional if a disability prevents you meeting either requirement.
Red flags
- Someone measures your age or LPR years from your interview date rather than your filing date.
- A preparer offers a medical disability exception without a qualifying medical professional completing Form N-648.
- You are told the 65/20 special consideration removes the civics requirement entirely; USCIS says the civics requirement is still required with specially designated test forms.
No, and confusing the two costs people time. The English and civics tests belong to Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and are administered by a USCIS officer at the naturalization interview. The immigration medical examination is a separate step recorded on Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, and it is performed by a physician USCIS has designated as a civil surgeon. USCIS policy guidance treats the medical examination as a question of admissibility, and applicants most often meet it alongside Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, the green-card step that usually falls years before naturalization. Many people go through both, but they are different forms, different examiners, and different timelines. Nothing on the civics test is medical, and no civil surgeon administers it.
Quick checklist
- Keep the N-400 naturalization track and the I-693 medical track as separate checklists.
- Use the USCIS civil surgeon locator only for the Form I-693 medical examination.
- Do not expect a civil surgeon appointment to satisfy anything on the naturalization test.
- Check which form each deadline belongs to before you act on it.
Red flags
- A preparer bundles the naturalization test and the immigration medical examination into a single appointment.
- You are told a civil surgeon can sign off on English or civics.
- A timeline mixes I-485 medical deadlines with N-400 interview scheduling.
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